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Plants

NatureServe compiles and maintains extensive data on the taxonomy, distribution and conservation status of plants of the United States and Canada, with a focus on species that are most imperiled.

NatureServe also maintains data on selected fungi, lichens, and algae. Although technically not plants, these groups have been traditionally included in botany departments. According to recent information from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), there are 18,951 native vascular plant species in the US, which include 17,848 angiosperms (flowering plants), 131 gymosperms (cone-bearing plants and related species), and 972 ferns and related species. NatureServe Explorer provides detailed information on more than 65,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems of the United States and Canada from our central databases. Our NatureServe network member programs collect and manage information on the location and conservation status of the plants in their jurisdictions.

To help New York State integrate climate change considerations into its Wildlife Action Plan, the New York Natural Heritage Program assessed the relative vulnerability of 119 of the state's Species of Greatest Conservation Need.PublicationScientific Report2011

This report outlines the use of the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index to assess 17 high-priority species inhabiting the Lake Simcoe watershed, Ontario, Canada. PublicationScientific Report2012Applied Research and Development, Ontario Forest Research Institute, Ministry of Natural Resources